Matthew and Willstrop set for one last Nationals Final

The Dunlop National Squash Championships will play host to a series of mouth-watering encounters, with Nick Matthew and James Willstrop seeded to meet in a blockbuster final showdown, after the draws were released today.

In the top half of the Men’s draw, defending champion and top seed Matthew will begin his title defence against a qualifier and is seeded to meet Declan James in the quarters before a potential final clash with long-term rival and former World No.1, Willstrop.

The Yorkshiremen have locked horns in five previous Nationals finals with three-time World Champion Matthew triumphing each time.

Willstrop, the two-time National champion, will first have to navigate a potential semi-final clash with 2011 champion Daryl Selby – the only player ever to have toppled nine-time champion Matthew in a Nationals final.

Selby, who commences his campaign against a qualifier, will be wary however of a potential quarter-final challenge from Scot Greg Lobban, who last week dispatched the World No.15 in three at the Edinburgh Open final.

Looking to upset the proceedings will be a trio of rising young stars – George Parker, Richie Fallows and Josh Masters.

In the women’s draw, top seed and defending champion Laura Massaro is seeded to meet World No.12 Tesni Evans in a mouth-watering last four encounter.

The Welshwoman, seeded 3/4 memorably got the better of the four-time National champion and former World No.1 in Round two of the AJ Bell PSA World Championships back in December.

Meanwhile, the bottom half of the women’s draw sees a blistering first round clash between former title holders Jenny Duncalf, the former World No.2, and Sarah-Jane Perry, the current World No.8. Perry, who lifted the NetSuite Open title last year, is seeded to go on to meet four-time National champion and World No.10 Alison Waters in the semi-finals.

With six former title holders seeded to meet in the Men’s and Women’s semi-finals, the 2018 Championships promises to be one of the most hotly contested to date.